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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28088889">Sherlock Holmes Gets Sued By The ACD Estate</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ana_R/pseuds/Ana_R'>Ana_R</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Hotel Dusk, Sherlock Holmes &amp; Related Fandoms, 大逆転裁判 | Dai Gyakuten Saiban</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Case Fic, Copyright, Gen, Legal Drama</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 19:48:04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,871</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28088889</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ana_R/pseuds/Ana_R</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sherlock Holmes travels to the future where he gets sued by the ACD Estate for being Sherlock Holmes.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Sherlock Holmes Gets Sued By The ACD Estate</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Originally a fancase: <a href="http://aaonline.fr/player.php?trial_id=117150">aaonline.fr/player.php?trial_id=117150</a></p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>December 1, 9:55 AM<br/>District Court<br/>Defendant Lobby No. 2</p><p>John Phoenix was in Defendant Lobby No. 2 in the District Court at 9:55 AM on December 1. He had been called once again to defend in court, but this time he didn't know what the charges were. The door opened and his client came in, pretending to smoke from a pipe.</p><p>"Hello there, John Phoenix," said the client.</p><p>"Hi. You are Sherlock Holmes, who came here from the 20th century," John Phoenix flexed his knowledge of his client before he could introduce himself.</p><p>"I am indeed the Great Detective, Sherlock Holmes!" said Holmes. He showed John Phoenix his miniature time machine, which John Phoenix grabbed and put in his pocket, which meant he was filing it as evidence.</p><p>"Holmsieeee, why are we in court?" said a little girl.</p><p>"Who is this? Why have you brought a child to the courthouse?" John Phoenix glared at Holmes in disgust.</p><p>"Oh, is that a problem? Sorry!" said Holmes, not sounding sorry at all. "This is Iris Watson, she's my biographer who writes all about my exciting adventures! You happen to have a copy of one our collections in your hand, I notice. "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes," published over 100 years ago!"</p><p>John Phoenix yawned.</p><p>"Oh, and for the record, I have NO idea why I've been summoned here," Holmes added. John Phoenix could not believe how useless he was to not know that. The bailiffs then summoned them into the courtroom.</p><hr/><p>"Court will now begin for the trial of... Sherlock Holmes?!" said the judge. "Nice!"</p><p>"The prosecution is ready," said Payne.</p><p>John Phoenix sipped on a mug of coffee before answering. "Also ready."</p><p>"Ah, John Phoenix, I trust you've already solved this case as always?" said the judge.</p><p>"Nope," said John Phoenix. "Today, I am challenging myself by not looking at the case files in advance so everything can be a surprise."</p><p>"I see, that's a bold choice, John Phoenix," said the judge. "I'm sure you'll expose the truth regardless."</p><p>"Heh, heh, heh..." Payne smirked. "Yes, you will. And that truth will send Mr. Holmes to his death. Because you see, Mr. Holmes has been sued by the estate of Arthur Conan Doyle for being Sherlock Holmes!"</p><p>"Hold on, what's all this about?!" shouted Holmes.</p><p>"Huh, that's actually a pretty airtight case," said John Phoenix. For a second he considered losing.</p><p>"I don't understand, what's so terrible about being Sherlock Holmes?" asked the judge.</p><p>"My first witness shall clearly explain that."</p><p>At Payne's request, Dick Gumshoe came to the stand.</p><p>
  <strong>Testimony: Sherlock Holmes</strong>
</p><p>"The character, Sherlock Holmes, is property of the Arthur Conan Doyle estate. Though the guy died a long time ago, his family still own the rights to his works. Like anything else, Holmes will enter the public domain 95 years after first being published... But until then, Mr. Holmes cannot be allowed to exist without the estate's approval!"</p><p>"Objection!" shouted John Phoenix. "Is this what you call a testimony? I call it trash. Why? Because there is not one but two major contradictions within it! The first is in your first statement. Sherlock Holmes is property of Arthur Conan Doyle? Who even is that? The Sherlock Holmes stories were written by a girl named Iris Watson!"</p><p>John Phoenix pulled out a copy of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes for all to see the name of the true author of these stories.</p><p>"And secondly... this book was published over 100 years ago! That means Holmes is already in the public domain! Winston Payne, you case is a sham!"</p><p>"Objection!" shouted Payne. "That's what YOU think, but I won't go down that easily! You see, Mr. Doyle actually wrote a few extra stories only 90 or so years ago. Those stories are still protected by copyright, and since they introduce fascinating new details about Mr. Holmes, he's still protected by our laws!"</p><p>"I sure wish they were protecting me, because it feels more like I'm under attack right now!" said Holmes.</p><p>"Wait, you ignored my other point!" said John Phoenix. "Arthur Conan Doyle didn't write those stories, it was Iris Watson!"</p><p>"That little girl is lying to you, John Phoenix. And I have a witness who can prove it," said Payne.</p><p>"Very well. Although this trial feels like it's been going on forever already so let's have a recess first," said the judge.</p><hr/><p>John Phoenix and Holmes regrouped in the defendant lobby.</p><p>"Well now, I never thought a civil case could have such dire stakes," said Holmes. "What do they even intend to do with me, execute me and burn me to ashes when I'm found guilty?"</p><p>"That won't happen," said John Phoenix. "How do I know this? Elementary. It's because I've already seen the truth behind this case."</p><p>John Phoenix heard the door open behind him and he turned around to see Iris running towards him.</p><p>"Johnnyyy, have you saved Holmsie yet?" Iris asked with a smile on her face.</p><p>"Working on it."</p><p>"Good, good! I've been working on something too!" Iris stuck her hand in her pocket and pulled out a manuscript, which had somehow fit inside it. "It's the manuscript for my new story! I call it "The Adventure of John Phoenix!""</p><p>"That's too close to my own story's name!" John Phoenix shouted. "That's plagiarism! How dare you!"</p><p>"Sorry, Johnny, it was an accident. I'll change the name right away."</p><p>"No, don't do that yet. Give me the manuscript, I might need it."</p><p>"Uh... I can't really do that," Iris gave John Phoenix an uneasy shrug. "The manuscript's supposed to be a secret and I can't reveal what's inside it until the story's published."</p><p>"...Okay, listen here you STUPID LITTLE BRAT!" screamed the enraged John Phoenix. "I am trying to SAVE your father and YOU are NOT HELPING! If you don't help me out here, Holmesie's gonna get his head LOBBED OFF! Holmes will be DEAD and it will be all YOUR fault, do you hear me?"</p><p>Iris backed away slowly but John Phoenix followed her.</p><p>"HAND. OVER. THE MANUSCRIPT. NOW!!!"</p><p>Iris squealed, gave him the manuscript and ran away. Once she was gone, he flicked through the pages. She had written her signature on the last page, but nothing else about it stuck out as important to him.</p><p>"I was in the bathroom, did something happen?" Holmes walked up next to John Phoenix, oblivious to what just happened.</p><p>"Yes, I found vital evidence, now let's get back to the trial."</p><p>And so they returned to the courtroom.</p><hr/><p>"The trial will now resume," said the judge. "Mr. Payne, your witness, please?"</p><p>Payne called his second witness, a black-and-white man who wore a perpetual smirk that looked awfully familiar to John Phoenix.</p><p>"Your name and occupation, please," said Payne.</p><p>"The name's Dylan Doyle, my friend! My occupation is collecting royalties for the property of my dead grandfather."</p><p>Dylan was ordered to testify.</p><p>
  <strong>Testimony: Arthur Conan Doyle</strong>
</p><p>"Many years ago, my grandfather wrote stories about a detective named Sherlock Holmes. He wrote them under the pen name, "Iris Watson." I have here the manuscript for his very first story, in fact! On the last page is his signature. It was put there by himself because he wrote this story!"</p><p>Dylan produced a manuscript and turned to the last page where Iris had left her signature.</p><p>"Objection!" shouted John Phoenix. "You've made a grave mistake by submitting this evidence, Mr. Fitch- I mean, Doyle."</p><p>"I don't feel bad about sending that criminal to the gallows, if that's what you mean," said Dylan.</p><p>"That's NOT what I mean! I have here a sample of young Ms. Watson's handwriting. Tell me, Your Honor... does this signature look familiar to you?"</p><p>The judge looked at the last page of Dylan's manuscript, then Iris'. It was clear to him that the two signatures were written by the same person.</p><p>"How did you get this?" asked the judge.</p><p>"I got it this morning from Iris Watson herself, who happens to be in the court right now," said John Phoenix. "How about we call her here to give us another signature to seal the deal?"</p><p>"H-How about we don't?" said Dylan. "Yeah, let's leave this issue a mystery, just like that child- er, my grandfather's stories!"</p><p>"Be quiet, Dylan! You just don't want to do it because it will expose you as a liar! Those stories were written in 1900, and they were written by Holmes' ten-year-old daughter! Confess! You are lying as part of a plot to kill Sherlock Holmes!"</p><p>"His ten-year-old daughter...?" Dylan echoed John Phoenix's words, then burst into manic laughter. "That was some vital testimony you just gave me, John Phoenix!"</p><p>"Huh? I don't get it," said Payne.</p><p>"I didn't think you would. Let me explain it clearly."</p><p>
  <strong>Testimony: The Greatest Expiry Date</strong>
</p><p>"So, Iris was 10 in 1900? Then she couldn't have written those stories! You see, the first few of the Sherlock Holmes stories were published as early as 1887! Iris wasn't even born by then so she couldn't have published them! It would therefore be impossible for anyone to have copied her!"</p><p>"Objection!" shouted John Phoenix. "There was a very easy way for someone to have copied Iris, despite this story's release date. It's the same method Sherlock Holmes used to get here in the first place! All the culprit had to do was travel through time!" John Phoenix presented Holmes' time machine, shocking everyone in the court.</p><p>"Objection!" shouted Payne. "Uhhhh... Mr. Holmes, you surely didn't let anyone touch that thing before you came here, right?"</p><p>"I did not," said Holmes.</p><p>"Ha! In that case, Arthur Conan Doyle could not have used your invention!"</p><p>"That's fine, because Arthur Conan Doyle doesn't exist," said John Phoenix.</p><p>"What nonsense are you spouting now?" said Payne.</p><p>"It's true that nobody in Holmes' era could have used the time machine, so it must have been someone in ours! This villainous person stole Holmes' time machine and went to the past when he wasn't looking! And the only one who could have done that is the plaintiff who's been lying this whole trial, Dylan Doyle! Or should I call you... Dylan FITCHAR?"</p><p>"No!" said Dylan Fitchar. "You can't prove it!"</p><p>"Yes, I can prove it! Quite easily, too! All we have to do is test Holmes' machine for fingerprints and it will prove you used it to go back in time and publish a story under the name "Arthur Conan Doyle!""</p><p>"AAAAAAAAGH, I HATE YOU JOHN PHOENIX!" Dylan Fitchar ran away.</p><p>"Some things never change," said John Phoenix. He picked his mug back up and finished his coffee, which was still hot, as the judge ruled in favor of the defense.</p><hr/><p>John Phoenix returned to the lobby alongside Sherlock Holmes.</p><p>"Thank you very much, John Phoenix!" said Holmes. "You really are as good as they say! You may even be better than me!"</p><p>"Okay," said John Phoenix. "You better not waste my time with charges like this again."</p><p>"Not to worry, I've already taken measures so that I may never be sued over my good name ever again," said Holmes. "You may henceforth refer to me as the inimitable Herlock Sholmes!"</p><p>"OBJECTION!"</p>
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